<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Coffee Chat by autobotscoutriella</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335635">Coffee Chat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/autobotscoutriella/pseuds/autobotscoutriella'>autobotscoutriella</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Things In Common [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Conversations, Coffee date, F/F, Getting to Know Each Other, Kinda, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:47:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/autobotscoutriella/pseuds/autobotscoutriella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Carly and Mikaela continue the awkward process of getting to know each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mikaela Banes/Carly Spencer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Things In Common [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995904</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coffee Chat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Could be considered an extension of the <a href="https://tf-rare-pairing.dreamwidth.org/1580193.html">TF_rare_pairing</a> prompt "hanging out", though it's officially a follow-up to Things In Common, which was the actual prompt fill. </p>
<p>It's not like I really <i>need</i> an excuse to write these two, but that was a convenient one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carly found herself pleasantly surprised by the range of coffee shop options within a fifteen-minute drive of the classified Autobot base. She had expected there to be one or two chain shops at best, and maybe something at the mall, but there were three separate local options. The one Mikaela had recommended turned out to be very small, but filled with comfortably overstuffed armchairs, small tables, a long counter lined with tall chairs and outlets along the huge front window, and classic car-themed décor. Aside from the car décor, it wasn't really the sort of place she would have pictured Mikaela enjoying, but it was pleasant, and not too crowded, with only two college students seated at opposite ends of the window counter and a bored-looking employee of indeterminate gender restocking pastries in the front display case.</p>
<p>Carly ordered something sweet and chocolatey with a complicated name and took it to the back of the small shop, picking a spot where two armchairs sat on either side of a small table with a few car magazines stacked on it. The newest one was dated 2006; Carly had to smile, wondering if the revelation that Cybertronians were real had forced car reviewers and magazine writers to rework their content. She could picture the headlines. <em>“Before Purchase, Check Under the Hood!: Six Ways to Guarantee Your New Car Isn't an Alien Robot”</em></p>
<p>The doorbell jingled, and Carly looked up from her coffee to see Mikaela waving at her, dressed casually in a pink t-shirt and jeans, with her hair down instead of pulled back in a braid. If she had been pretty in stained coveralls, she was stunning now - and then Carly firmly yanked her mind away from that train of thought, because <em>for heaven's sake, Carly, you barely know her!</em> Mikaela ordered her coffee - a slight variation of the same one Carly had ordered - and joined Carly at the back table with an apologetic smile. “Sorry I'm late. A thing came up at work and my usual ride couldn't take me - the  bike's just not quite as fast.”</p>
<p>Carly could read between the lines. Whichever Autobot had been Mikaela's usual ride - Sideswipe? Arcee, maybe? - had been called away on a mission, something too classified to discuss in public. “Do you need to head back early?” The idea was surprisingly disappointing - she had been looking forward to their meeting, more than she had expected - but if the Autobots needed Mikaela, surely it was more important than a coffee chat about guardian logistics with her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>But Mikaela waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, they've got my number and I'll get a ping if they expect to need me back early. They won't, unless...” Her smile faded briefly. “Well, you know, we just hope that doesn't happen.” She sipped her coffee and settled back, the brief flash of worry fading as quickly as it had come. “So how'd it go? Your chat with the higher-ups?”</p>
<p>“Ah, well.” Carly found herself suddenly fumbling to remember exactly how it had gone. Talking to Mikaela made her slightly tongue-tied, for reasons she wasn't sure she was ready to examine. “It was about what you predicted, really. Colonel Lennox explained the dangers of having been previously associated with Sam Witwicky -” She broke off with a wry smile. “As if I didn't know. Really, I could have added a few to his list that he forgot to mention.”</p>
<p>Mikaela giggled into her coffee, and smothered it with the back of her hand. “I'm sorry. I know that's not really all that funny. But I thought the <em>exact same thing</em> when I got that talk. Like, I know pretty much everything that could go wrong with - you know, everything we work with, plus the mundane stuff like “Sam will definitely forget to turn the stove off and set a pot on fire at least once”, why am I the one getting the lecture on Witwicky-related dangers?”</p>
<p>“It would have been rather satisfying to ask him that.” Carly couldn't help laughing herself, imagining the colonel's likely expression. “You can tell he was rarely in charge of keeping Sam alive. But I didn't ask - it would have been awkward.” She paused to sip her coffee.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I didn't either.” Mikaela lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. “So what'd you decide? Or did you decide?”</p>
<p>Carly gazed down into her mug while she thought about her answer. “I haven't, actually,” she admitted. “Even after hearing all of the options and the details of what they would look like, I don't know what I want to do. Colonel Lennox suggested I take some time and think about it.”</p>
<p>“Prob'ly a good call.” Mikaela took a long sip of her coffee. “Whatever you decide, though, it doesn't have to be for the rest of your life. They'll let you switch later. But still...big decision.”</p>
<p>“Indeed it is.” Carly thought about asking Mikaela what she thought she should do, and decided against it. They had only just met, after all, and that was a lot to put on a near-stranger, even one she had felt an immediate kinship with. “But your advice helped. It gave me the chance to think of some questions I wouldn't have asked otherwise, so thank you for that.”</p>
<p>“Anytime. I’m just glad it was useful.” Mikaela might have been blushing – but maybe that was just wishful thinking on Carly’s part.</p>
<p>The two of them sat in almost-comfortable silence for a moment, both sipping their drinks. The music, which Carly had been paying very little attention to, shifted to something softer with words she couldn't quite make out.</p>
<p>Mikaela finally cleared her throat and said, “So what are you doing for a job these days? I know you were working for that Dylan Gould guy a couple years ago - “</p>
<p>“Not my proudest moment,” Carly said dryly.</p>
<p>“Oh, no, I don't - “ Mikaela paused, seeming to stumble over the words. “I didn't mean that as criticism or anything. We've all had shitty jobs, and what went down wasn't - it wasn't your fault. I just wondered if cars and managing collections and stuff is still what you do. If you are, and if you decided to stick around, we could probably figure out some kind of job for you at base.” She offered a grin that almost seemed shy, and swept a stray strand of dark hair out of her face. “There's definitely always something that needs managed.”</p>
<p>She hadn't spent nearly as much time with the Autobots as Mikaela, but Carly could well imagine what sort of things needed to be managed, judging from the experiences she did have. It was probably two or three full-time jobs put together, though of course she couldn't describe the details she was imagining in a public coffee shop. “My degree is in communications, actually, with a focus on public relations. I did some government work here and in England for a bit - internships mostly, a couple of small positions. Gould Industries was my attempt to try out the private sector. Move away from what my family did, you know.” Did Mikaela know much about her family? Colonel Lennox had, but Carly couldn't be sure how much of it was common knowledge on base. “Military family. Obviously my move into the private sector didn't work out the way I'd hoped. The position...wasn't exactly as advertised.”</p>
<p>Mikaela grimaced in sympathy. “Ugh, of course Gould was the type to advertise for a PR position when what he really wanted was a hot secretary. I've known a lot of guys like that. Though of course in my job they're not claiming it's a PR spot.”</p>
<p>Carly had to laugh, even though something in the back of her mind was asking <em>she thinks I'm hot? No - no, don't be silly, that's just a turn of phrase about Gould's expectations. It's not personal.</em> Nonetheless, she felt her face warm slightly, and hoped Mikaela didn't notice. “That's...pretty much what happened, yes. The pay was good, and I wanted to stay long enough to get a couple of years of experience - at least, something I could make look like relevant experience on paper - but then, well.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Mikaela nodded knowingly, her expression turning thoughtful as she took another slow sip of her coffee. “So you're actually in communications and PR, not whatever it is Gould was doing.”</p>
<p>“You sound surprised.” Carly tried not to feel just the slightest bit wounded - it was a fair question, after all, and she had started to suspect that this meeting was at least partly to see how well she would fit in if she decided to stay on base.</p>
<p>“No! No, not at all. Just didn't realize, that's all.” Mikaela cleared her throat awkwardly and set her coffee down. “I was just thinking - okay, let me try again. Look, I promised myself I wouldn't try to convince you one way or the other, because this is a decision that you should make on your own. But honestly, we could really use someone with your skills.”</p>
<p>“Really? I would have thought the - “ Carly stopped and revised her statement quickly. “I would have thought your job would have to have a public relations specialist on staff.”</p>
<p>“We used to, but after...everything...” Mikaela shrugged. “The people who want to work with us usually aren't very diplomatic. And you can't be, really, for a lot of the jobs. God knows I'm not.” She laughed, the sound light and bright. “It's an asset most of the time, but not when you have to talk to the public. As I'm sure I'm putting on display through this whole conversation.”</p>
<p>“No, no. Not at all,” Carly assured her, finding herself smiling. Mikaela's laugh was contagious. “But it's - it's good to know that, should I decide to stay, there would be a position I could fill. I had wondered if any of my skills would be relevant.”</p>
<p>That was an understatement. She had wondered if there would be <em>anything</em> she could do, or if she had only been offered a place on the base as a favor, because she had dated Sam once. The fact that Mikaela had found a place with the Autobots hadn't reassured her - after all, Mikaela was a mechanic, and likely could have found a place with them even if she had never met Sam.</p>
<p>“Of course they would be,” Mikaela assured her, reaching out to put a hand over Carly's. “I mean, you'd be welcome anyway, always, but with your background - if it weren't for Optimus Prime being <em>beyond</em> strict about making sure nobody feels like they have to join, Lennox and Command probably would have started trying to recruit you months ago, with that background.”</p>
<p>Carly looked down at the hand covering hers, and realized too late that there was no hiding her blush this time. She didn't pull away. “Thank you. I - I do really appreciate hearing that.”</p>
<p>Mikaela looked down at their hands, blushed bright red as if suddenly realizing what she'd done, and drew her hand back to cup around her coffee mug again. “Sure, anytime. Just, you know, making sure you know all the facts. But I'm sure you'll get plenty of shop talk at the base. So..” She cleared her throat and smiled. “What's your favorite movie?”</p>
<p>Carly wasn't sure if it was the smile, or the brief hand touch, or the encouragement, or all of the above that sealed her decision, but before she left the coffee shop two hours later, she knew that she would be staying on the Autobot base.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Carly's career progression gave me <i>fits</i>. White House internships don't usually translate into jobs managing some rich guy's car collection, as far as I know.</p>
<p>Mikaela's right, though, the post-DOTM Autobots are in desperate need of somebody to take charge of their PR who isn't the US military.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>